7 Reasons Why 2017 Will Be Awesome

It’s now February, and everyone can pretty much agree that 2016 was not the greatest, but there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful that 2017 will be way, way better. Form Indie-pop to Dave Chapelle, check out our 2017 awesome list...

It’s now February, and everyone can pretty much agree that 2016 was not the greatest, but there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful that 2017 will be way, way better. Here are seven pieces of evidence that this new year will usher in a fresh era of awesomeness, from emerging artists on the verge of breaking through to the wonderful phenomenon of canned wine, and everything in between. So let’s not lose the optimism that comes with a new year, Here’s to ‘17!

The Impending Female Indie-Pop Revolution!

Smart indie-pop tracks from a bevy of lovely ladies with burgeoning careers are slated to leave quite a mark on 2017.

By Mickwiki – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, File:Olivia O’Brien .jpg

One such act is Olivia O’Brien, who broke out last year thanks to her chart-topping collaboration with gnash, “i hate u, i love u.” “2016 was a really unexpected but amazing year for me,” she explains. “I started it having never even been on stage and by the end of the year, I was performing in an arena in front of 15,000 people.” Now, O’Brien is set to dominate as a solo superstar. If recent tracks like “Root Beer Float” and “Trust Issues” are any indication, she’s gearing up to drop some smashes. “I am constantly writing and making new music that I can’t wait to release. I’m also hoping to do some shows of my own and want to continue establishing myself as an artist even further.”

Meanwhile, Nashville native Daniella Mason is contributing to the trend by cultivating her own bubbling career thanks to her buzzy debut EP, Technicolour. “To see the things I’ve been working towards for so long come to fruition feels a bit like I’ve been holding my breath for 10 years and I can finally exhale,” notes Mason, who’s gearing up to unveil more undoubtedly-infectious tracks similar to past stand-out “Planet,” as well as a litany of live dates. “I can’t wait to get out on the road and perform this stuff live every night. It’s crazy to me that there’s so many people I’ve never met listening to my music. I wanna meet them all!”

Solar Eclipse Mania!

It’s already been dubbed the Great American Solar Eclipse. On August 21st, the moon will blot out the sun creating a total eclipse for the massive swath of the United States ranging from Oregon to South Carolina. It’ll be two minutes and forty seconds of eclipse awesomeness you won’t want to miss, considering this will be the first time a total eclipse will be viewable coast-to-coast in a century.

Four words: Wine in a Can!

In years past, wine fans had two options: overly bougie and expensive, or cheap and completely undesirable. Lucky for us, the fine art of getting wine-sloshed has reached another level with the recent canned wine phenomenon, which is looking to explode in 2017. One company on the forefront of the trend is Infinite Monkey Theorem, a curiously-named Denver, Colorado-based company who’s turning wine culture on its head one sip at a time. “Canned wines are all about the ‘use occasion,’” explains company CEO and winemaker Ben Parsons. “Where can you drink canned wine that you couldn’t take a glass bottle? Think about hiking, climbing, or skiing. All of these activities are fun and being able to drink wine in a single serve, ready-to-drink format adds to the experience. Compare that to sitting down to a formal dinner with a bottle and the snobbery and pretense that’s perpetuated by the majority of the wine industry.” Parsons and Infinite Monkey Theorem have eliminated the snobbery without sacrificing quality and taste, a mission they’ve been on since the company’s humble founding in 2008. “We set out to break the norms in an archaic industry,” Parson notes of the operation. “No vineyard, no pretense, no rolling hills or marble tasting room floors. Just good wine made in a city without the BS.” Cheers to that!

The Hard Seltzer Revolution!

Get ready, La Croix lovers. Not only will 2017 be the year of canned wines, but it’ll also be forever known as a time when hard seltzer explodes into the mainstream. Various companies including White Claw and Truly are churning out boozy seltzers that skip added calories and sugar, becoming a dieter’s party drink dream.

Festival Season will be Epic!

The recent unveiling of the lineups for California’s Coachella and New York’s Governors Ball have been lauded as the best roster of artists both fests have seen in years, or maybe ever. For April’s Coachella, fans can look forward to headliners ranging from superstar Beyonce, Radiohead and even Kendrick Lamar. The mighty Lorde is also scheduled for her first performance in years in support of her sophomore album set to drop this year as well. (Translation: look for debut performances of brand new tracks.) She’ll also be appearing in June at Governor’s Ball in the Big Apple, alongside the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, French rockers Phoenix, and Childish Gambino, who’s set to perform his latest tracks as well. Get ready to face the hordes and sun; it’ll be worth it.

New Restaurants Galore!

When it comes to buzzy eateries, 2017 is looking to take the cake. In Los Angeles, one of the most-hyped is the impending opening of Tao, the famed Pan-Asian restaurant’s fourth US location currently prepping for its humongous new digs adjacent to LA’s equally new Dream Hotel. Over in New York, acclaimed restaurateur April Bloomfield, known for NYC hot spots The Spotted Pig and The Breslin, is preparing her first Brooklyn location: a Mexican-American spot dubbed Salvation Taco, a spin-off of the original Salvation in Manhattan.

New Dave Chappelle… Finally!

The legendary comedian is set to make a grand comeback a decade after he unceremoniously split from his smash Comedy Central show. Thanks to a $60 million (!) Netflix deal, Chapelle is set to premiere three brand new comedy specials on the streaming service this year. While no date has been announced, it’s rumored that they’ll all be posted at once. We’ll be refreshing our browsers till then.

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